| Palo Duro Creek | |
| Source1: | North Palo Duro Creek and South Palo Duro Creek |
| Mouth: | Beaver River |
| Mouth Location: | Hardesty, Oklahoma |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Length: | 135km (84miles) |
Palo Duro Creek is formed in Texas from the junction of North Palo Duro Creek and South Palo Duro Creek north of Morse, Texas.[1] The creek continues generally northeast until it becomes a tributary of the Beaver River (North Canadian River) in Oklahoma at a point east-northeast of Hardesty, Oklahoma, west of Balko, Oklahoma, and north of U.S. Route 412 near the Texas County/Beaver County line, downstream from the Optima Lake project.[2]
North Palo Duro Creek in turn originates at about the Dallam County/Hartley County line east of Dalhart and west of Cactus in Texas.[3] South Palo Duro Creek originates east of the Hartley County/Moore County line, west-northwest of Dumas, Texas.[4]
Palo Duro Creek is impounded at Palo Duro Dam, about 10 miles north of Spearman, Texas.[5] The dam was authorized in 1985. The reservoir was created for both water supply and recreation purposes. The earthen dam has a maximum height of 128 feet and a length of 3,800 feet, with a maximum storage capacity of almost 61,000 acre-feet. It was completed by the County of Moore (providing 72% of the funding), County of Hansford, and City of Stinnett in March 1991.[6] But the reservoir has never reached more than a few percent of its capacity: both the creek and reservoir rely on surface runoff to fill, in an area with little rainfall and prone to drought.[7]